Baltimore Ravens: The Day We Made A Statement

The Tennessee Titans were heavily favored in the divisional round of the 2000 NFL Playoffs. They were gunning for their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. They famously finished one yard short the season before against the Rams. Steve McNair, Eddie George and Derrick Mason were their trio of offensive superstars. The team was also loaded with talent on defense.

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They had never lost in their new stadium and They were hailed as the best team in the NFL by many analysts. The Titans were supposed to march into their home stadium and roll over the Baltimore Ravens.

The Baltimore Ravens were not supposed to win this game. It was literally against the world battle for the Purple and Black. The Ravens were not afraid of the Titans however. They had split the two regular season games against the Titans and they knew that they could beat them. The Titans may have been favored but the entire football world underestimated the toughness of the Ravens.

The Ravens had three big plays in this game. The first was a big pass play to a surprisingly wide open Shannon Sharpe that put the Ravens on the one yard line. Jamal Lewis pounded the rock into the end zone for the score. The Titans made a statement with their score on the opening drive. The Ravens touchdown showed Tennessee that the Ravens were not backing down from the fight.

The second was a blocked field goal that Anthony Mitchell ran 90 yards back for a touchdown. This play gave the Ravens complete momentum of the game and a 17-10 lead. The Ravens were close to an AFC Championship appearance that would shock football fans everywhere.

The final big play of the game was when Ray Lewis stole the football from Eddie George on a pass play and ran 50 yards for a defensive touchdown. It may have been the best defensive play any of us have ever seen. The timing, the strength and the clutch nature of Lewis’s interception was amazing. The Ravens won the game 24-10, Lewis delivered the dagger.

Just like the Mile High Miracle would be the signature moment of the Ravens 2012 Super Bowl run, beating the Titans in defiant fashion was the memorable moment for the Ravens first championship. The script was practically written before the Ravens even arrived in Tennessee. They were supposed to play the losing role in the Titans redemption story. The Ravens did not comply.

Next: Baltimore Ravens: Life In The AFC North

It was at that moment that you knew this Ravens team was going to the Super Bowl. The 2000 Ravens defense was too good not to win a championship. The Ravens gave Baltimore the championship team that they deserved. Maryland was painted purple with pride. The passion for the Ravens could not be contained. Baltimore football had returned to prominence and there was nothing anyone could do about it.